


Trapped in a blizzard

by PhryneFicathon, Tinne_Peeters



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-16 21:44:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16962036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhryneFicathon/pseuds/PhryneFicathon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinne_Peeters/pseuds/Tinne_Peeters
Summary: Phryne is investigating a murder in Fernshaw, located in the Australian alps. Caught in a blizzard she and Jack have to take shelter in a haunted house.





	Trapped in a blizzard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [olderbynow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/olderbynow/gifts).



> Since I’m in Belgium and use a different metric system, 15 degrees is 59 Fahrenheit and half a meter (50 cm) is just under 20 inch and a kilometer is 1000 yards. Many thanks to Aurora_australis for the beta, that I obviously needed!!
> 
> Prompt: Phryne is hired to solve a murder and ends up having to spend the night in a haunted house. Jack may or may not butt in.

Phryne shivered and wrapped her fur coat a little tighter around herself. All this blasted snow. It wasn’t really overly cold in Melbourne,15 degrees wasn’t too bad for winter time. In Fernshaw, however, it _was_ unusually cold and it was snowing heavily. The drive had taken twice as long and she was very glad she had finally made it to McCarthy Manor. She had been hired to solve a murder discreetly. Charlotte Carter, a family friend, had called Phryne because she believed her grandmother-in-law had been murdered. Some jewelry was also missing. After investigating from afar, Phryne agreed and found out the murderer was most likely the new maid that the late Mrs McCarthy the elder had hired. Phryne wanted to make damn sure her hunch was right so she had made the long drive. Normally she would spend the Christmas in July weekend with friends and family but she couldn’t deny Charlotte anything. After the disastrous affair with René Dubois, Charlotte and her husband Peter had taken her in. Phryne owed her more than anybody else. 

She had parked her hispano suiza next to the dozen other of cars already there and walked up to the door. It seemed there was also a Christmas in July party going on here. She rang the bell and waited a little impatiently for the door to open. It seemed like the butler didn’t hear the door or was too busy to open it. Checking, she found it opened easily. She stepped into the foyer and hung her coat on the rack off to the side. She spotted a brown fedora and eyed it for a moment - Jack’s was just the same. 

She entered the ballroom to find it full to the brim with high ranking politicians and most of the high society from Melbourne. She scanned the crowd for Charlotte and found her easily. She was as always the life of the party. Phryne and Charlotte were similar in so many ways. It was one of the reasons they got on so well; even after something disastrous happened, their smile never wavered and life went on. 

Glad she had anticipated a party, her dress matched the atmosphere. It was a simple black floor length, with a lace overlay with sequins on it. Where it was a simple dress in color and fit, it made up for it with a slit that reached her thigh. It bordered on scandalous. Aunt P would most definitely not approve. Charlotte spotted her and waved her over. 

“Darling Phryne, how wonderful to see you!”

“Charlotte you look fabulous, it has been too long.”

The women hugged each other close, ignoring the looks of annoyance of the people surrounding them at their familiarity. 

From across the room, unnoticed by Phryne, stood Jack Robinson who was bored out of his mind. He did a double take when he saw her enter. The room held some of the most beautiful woman in the world, and their beauty seemed to diminish compared to hers. He wondered what on earth she was doing here. He had declined her invitation to her Christmas in July party at Wardlow because of his former father-in-law, George Sanderson, who was in prison. He had talked to the new commissioner and had convinced him to take Jack along. So Jack hadn’t dared to decline and accompanied him. Jack needed to make nice with the higher ups and big shots, so the department could have a bigger budget. Jack didn’t know why he had to come, most of the men who the commissioner talked to ignored him or questioned him about a certain lady detective who was now standing on the other side of the room. 

He watched Phryne and Mrs McCarthy walk over to the side of the room. It gave him a better view point of Phryne. Where he had thought the dress seemed too simple for her, with the long sleeves and color, his opinion had changed drastically when she turned around and walked. He swallowed and tried to keep his stoic composure. He was sure if she were to raise her leg, her garther - which most likely held a dagger - would show. The women were talking in hushed tones that went unnoticed by others in the room. Mrs McCarthy rang a bell before she and Phryne walked into the foyer. Unable to suppress his curiosity he simply had to follow. 

“Excuse me, I think I saw someone I know.”

The other men hardly acknowledged him and Jack did an inward eye roll. 

Phryne and Charlotte had just entered the foyer when the maid Kate Nye entered. Phryne had informed Charlotte of everything and confirmed her suspicions. Kate took one look at Charlotte and Phryne and immediately knew she had been exposed. She threw the tray with glasses on it to the floor and ran towards the door, through and out into the night. 

Jack had just reached the door when he heard the breaking of glass. He ran into the foyer and saw Phryne grab her coat from the rack and disappear into the snow. He only hesitated for a second, before running past Mrs McCarthy, rummaging through the coat rack for his own jacket and scarf -it was easily spotted because his red lining inside- and he was out the door. 

That girl had definite street smarts, because she could hot wire a car even faster than Phryne. Phryne jumped into her hispano suiza and had just made the turn on the driveway when she saw a figure appear on the driveway. She recognized him immediately, slammed on the brake, and slid forwards. 

“Jack?!”

“What are you doing Miss Fisher? We are in the middle of a blizzard and you seem to be chasing someone.”

“GET IN!” Phryne yelled. 

Jack had just enough time to climb in before she sped off again. 

“Charlotte is an old friend and her grandmother was murdered, I found out it was her maid Kate, but before I could question her she got away.”

Phryne looked over to Jack who was clutching his seat. 

“Now your turn, what are you doing here?”

“Keep your eyes on the road!” Jack yelled.

Phryne rolled her eyes, but did as he said. 

“I am here with the commissioner. He wants more money for the department and he thinks I’m somehow the way to do that.”

He paused for a few minutes watching the road carefully.

“Do you think this is wise? Driving in this snow?”

In the time they had spent inside, the weather had definitely gotten worse. There was about a half meter of fresh snow already, and it was still coming down hard. 

“She’s not getting away Jack, she needs to be punished for what she did.”

Before Jack could answer her, a crashed car appeared in front of them. It had crashed full frontal into a tree. The road turned to the left, but in Kate’s haste to get away and the slippery road, the car had gone straight ahead. Phryne parked her car next to it and was out of it before Jack could protest. 

Phryne ran to the car, only to find it empty. There was blood though. So Kate was most likely hurt. There were tracks into the snow heading into the forest. She immediately followed them. 

Jack sighed and went after her, how could he not? The snow was still coming down and it was difficult to see very far ahead. Phryne must be freezing in her dress but said nothing as the minutes ticked by and they plowed ahead. 

“Phryne stop, I know you want to capture her but we’re going to freeze to death if we continue.”

She turned around and was about to make a retort when a figure loomed behind her. Jack reached forward and pulled her to him, just as a broken tree branch came whooshing past them. 

Not counting on Phryne to turn at the last moment, Kate swung her branch past them and straight into a nearby tree. Before she could recover, she was tackled to the ground by someone heavy. 

“Miss Fisher will you please tie her up? You can use my scarf.”

Phryne just nodded and with shaky fingers from the cold undid Jack’s scarf and used it to tie Kate’s hands together. Jack pulled Kate and himself upwards and looked around. The fight had disrupted the heavy snow on the ground and their earlier track was covered with a fresh layer already. It was eerily quiet in the forest. Jack looked at Phryne and saw her come to the same realization. 

“I think we came from that way,” Phryne said as she pointed to the forest behind her. Having no clue himself, Jack just nodded and pulled Kate along after Phryne. It soon became clear they were going in the wrong direction; the forest became ticker and the ground was turning into a hill. On top of the hill it seemed like there was a structure. When Jack told Phryne, Kate suddenly went mad. 

“No! I’m not going there! That place is haunted. You can’t make me!” She was screaming, but something about her behavior seemed off to Phryne. Before Jack could do anything she had pulled her hands out of the scarf and gave him a hard push. She dashed forward and tried to make a run for it. Suddenly Phryne had her signature gold gun in her cold shaking hands. Where Phryne had hidden her gun baffled Jack, but before he had time to think about it, Kate had knocked the gun out of Phryne’s hand and pushed her into a snowbank. The women rolled in the snow fighting each other. Kate pulled a knife out of her garther and pressed the metal against Phryne’s throat. Was this normal behavior for woman to have concealed weapons underneath their skirts? Jack dived for the gun, the gold glittering in the white. He aimed and shot Kate. Her face gave the tiniest hint of surprise before she fell backwards and didn’t move again. 

Jack placed the gun in his pocket, knelt next to Phryne, and looked at her neck. Where the knife had pierced the skin it was bleeding. He saw his scarf laying a bit further, so he grabbed it and tied it loosely around her neck. Cold was a good way to stop bleeding, so he pressed his icy fingers to the wound underneath the scarf and put pressure on it. 

Phryne shivered when Jack’s fingers brushed her throat, he was looking at her with utmost concentration. She shivered again, and not from the cold this time. She was almost disappointed when he withdrew his fingers, the wound had stopped bleeding. He tied the scarf a little tighter and got to his feet. He stretched out his hand and pulled Phryne to her feet as well. 

“Come on, we need to find shelter.”

“But Jack, it’s haunted!”

“We are not having this discussion again, Miss Fisher. There’s no such thing as ghosts!”

The house stood on top of a hill overlooking the forest. It had once been beautiful, the two story building was in a white wood paneling that had long since faded. A porch seemed to wrap all the way around it. Jack tried the door which gave way without a sound. He entered first. There wasn’t an entry, it went straight into a massive room where the floor was littered with broken crystals from a chandelier. 

As they moved through the house, it became clear no one had been here in a long time. Phryne glanced around, all she could see were somber portraits staring down from behind layers of dust; it seemed like they were penetrating their very being. Cold, hesitant light was streaming through a cracked window, casting eerie shadows on the walls. As she walked forward, she couldn’t shake the feeling someone was following her. Turning, there was nothing but the empty room and the faces in the portraits staring. Outside she could hear the wind howling, making the whole house creak. When something brushed her back she whirled around, heart hammering fast. Jack was looking at her amused. 

“You seem startled, Miss Fisher.”

Phryne plastered a smile on her face and answered in the most confident voice she could muster. 

“Not at all, Jack, it's only -uhm, a little...”

“Creepy?”

In the center of the house was a parlor. It was a strange room with only two doors, and all the windows were boarded up. There was a massive fireplace in the corner. 

“This seems like the best room to stay in tonight. I’m sure there must be some wood nearby,” 

Jack said as he walked to the other door. “Ah, here we go.” Behind the second door was a sort of storage room that held logs. 

“I’ll look for some matches. Jack, can you drag that couch to the fireplace?”

Phryne didn’t wait to see if Jack agreed, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room, determined not to give in to the uncomfortable feeling she had. Whoever had left this house had done so in a hurry. Phryne rummaged through the kitchen drawers until she found some matches. 

Jack had a hard time fighting his smirk. Phryne Fisher might act like she wasn’t afraid of anything, but she was clearly uncomfortable in an allegedly haunted house. Jack smirked again; haunted. As if. Probably a story to keep people away because there was something illegal going on. He looked up when Phryne entered the room again, shaking the little box she was holding. 

From the moment the fireplace was lit, the room changed drastically. It was no longer immersed in darkness and filled with shadows that seemed to swirl at their feet, but was now a cozy room, bathed in an orange glow. 

Phryne felt the warmth wash over her like a wave. She sank into the couch that Jack had placed directly in front of the fireplace, only now realizing she was freezing and soaked to the bone. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the fire, her body aching from walking in the snow. 

Jack was glad the fire was going, and that it had enough wood to last them a while. He took off his wet coat and laid it on the couch so it could dry. The fire was burning hot, and he stood in front of it warming his hands. But no matter how cold he felt, he knew it wouldn’t even compare to how Phryne was feeling. Honestly, walking all that way in a dress, through the snow! At least he had wool trousers and a couple of layers with his tuxedo. 

“I think I saw a linen cupboard earlier. I’ll go get some blankets.”

Phryne opened her eyes when Jack spoke; he was standing in front of the fire, looking at her. 

He left in search of stuff they could use, and when he came back it was with a couple of moth eaten blankets. Phryne had dragged a couple of chairs to the fire and had draped their coats over them. With the blankets and a couple of old cushions Phryne had found, it would make a fairly decent arrangement to spend the night.

Phryne was uncomfortable in her dress; it was sticking to her body because it was so wet and heavy. She knew what the solution was, and it would be an amusing conversation. 

“Jack, I’m freezing in my wet clothes. You must be too. We need to take them off so they can dry.”

Jack looked at her with a startled expression on his face. 

“Excuse me?” 

Phryne rolled her eyes.

“We are wet from the snow. If we don't take them off we’re going to catch pneumonia.”

Jack knew she was right, of course, but had no desire to take off his clothes in front of her, and most of all not in an abandoned house with a blizzard raging outside. 

“I’m not that wet. My coat protected me.”

She arched one perfect eyebrow. 

“Maybe not wet, but definitely cold.”

“And what do you propose we wear instead? I don’t think we’ll find Madame Fleuri lurking in the attic.”

“We’ll just have to improvise,” she said with a wicked grin as she got up off the couch and walked over to him. 

“Can you please unzip my dress?” She asked with her back to him. Jack knew he had to take control of this situation and fast, because in a matter of seconds she would be standing in front of him in her lingerie. It wasn’t that he hadn’t dreamed about seeing her like that for a long time, but this was hardly the time or the place for it. Careful not to touch too much of her skin with his icy fingers, he unzipped her dress. 

“Just one second, Miss Fisher.”

Phryne turned around and saw him take off his suit jacket and drape it over the chair. He continued with his bowtie and started to unbutton his shirt. He only looked up when he was in his singlet. There was a slight blush creeping up his neck as he held his shirt open for her and closed his eyes. Understanding what he meant, Phryne stripped out of the wet dress, thankful she had worn her winter undergarments, and placed her arms in Jack’s shirt. She closed the buttons and inhaled deeply; it smelled like sandalwood and pomade. It smelled like Jack, and she inhaled again. 

“Thank you, Jack. It's a little big, but it’ll do.”

Jack opened his eyes to find his shirt indeed a little big for her frame. Without meaning to, his eyes took her in, from her disheveled hair - from the snow - to his white shirt - that just barely covered her arse - to her long legs that were still covered in silky black stockings. He snapped his eyes back to hers and cleared his throat. Desperate for something to do, he turned and took his now dry coat from the chair, and held it open once again for her, so she could wear it over his shirt. 

Because it had only ornamental buttons, Phryne took Jack’s scarf from her neck and tied it around her waist. His coat was so long, it was almost like a dress. Jack was in the process of taking off his shoes and placing them in front of the fire when Phryne looked up again. He had put his suit jacket over his singlet, which was a shame really. The image of his body was imprinted in Phryne’s mind, she had seen him in a bathing suit before, but this seemed somehow more intimate. His pants where obviously still wet, but it seemed like he would rather sit in them wet than take them off. She grinned, not that she would’ve guessed any differently. 

She sat down on the couch and tucked her feet beneath her. She was glad to be out of her wet clothes, but was still cold. A small shiver ran over her body, and she sighed and closed her eyes. 

Jack was watching her. She looked completely at ease in his shirt and coat, in a haunted house, sitting on a ugly old couch. Like she had done this sort of thing a thousand times before. Because he was paying attention, he saw the shiver. No wonder she was still cold, she was hardly wearing any clothes! He grabbed a couple of blankets and sat down next to her on the couch. A love seat was actually a more fitting description. 

“Turn around, Miss Fisher, and lean against me. My body heat will warm you up.”

“You know, Jack, this works better without any clothes at all. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do in a blizzard?” she said as she turned around and pressed her body against his. Jack laughed, very loud and uncharacteristically, making the whole couch shake. 

“I think that’s for when your trapped in an igloo outside in the snow, and since we’re neither, I think we’re safe!”

Phryne didn’t answer. She was taking mental notes of this moment; Jack seemed somehow different. Like he’d lost a piece that was holding him back. He threw the blanket over them and placed his arm around her shoulder. Phryne let out a contented sigh.

“Thank you, Jack, this helps.”

Neither of them spoke after that, each lost in their own thoughts. After a while, he could feel Phryne had fallen asleep, her breathing now slow and steady. He dared a glance and saw she really was asleep. Jack was incredibly hot, and not just from Phryne’s body pressed against his. His mind kept going back to her standing in his shirt. He couldn’t explain it, but seeing her in his shirt, it was like somehow it was meant to be. He couldn’t sleep for a long time after that, thoughts of Phryne kept running through his head. 

* * * * *

Some hours later, a loud crash made the house shake on its foundations. Jack sat bolt upright, completely forgetting where he was. The fire had gone out and the room was filled in darkness once again. He blinked his eyes a few times to get his bearings, trying to determine why it was pitch black and why there had been a body lying on on his just moment before. 

“Jack, what was that?” Phryne’s voice said from his left as her hand searched for him in the dark. 

“I don’t know. It came from upstairs.”

He slowly and with difficulty untangled the blankets that cocooned their bodies together and made his way to the fire. Thanking the stars he had thought ahead and placed a few logs next to the fireplace, he had the fire going again in no time. When he turned, Phryne had already put on her heels and handed him his shoes. 

Together they entered the first room. It had finally stopped snowing, and the sky was clear again with a full moon. The whiteness outside, combined with the moon, meant that wherever the windows weren’t boarded up they had perfect visibility. Jack peered at his watch, four-thirty in the morning. The sun wouldn’t rise for another three hours. Phryne reached the stairs and was just about to go up, when Jack pulled her back. 

“Maybe I should go first, Miss Fisher.”

He reached past her, into the pocket of his coat, to find it empty. 

“Other pocket, Jack. I felt it earlier. I thought you were really happy to see me, but it was only my gun. Maybe you could do a body search to find it?”

Jack was glad her back was to his because he flushed crimson. He cleared his throat. 

“As enticing as that seems Miss Fisher,” he took a deep breath and swallowed,

“this is hardly the place or the time for such-”

He broke off abruptly when another crash sounded from above. They both looked up to the ceiling, and without hesitation he reached into the other pocket and found her gun. He bypassed her on the stairs and went up first. 

Not being one to stay behind, Phryne followed just a few steps behind Jack. As he stepped on the first step of the staircase, dust came out behind it and made a squeaking noise that could make you want to rip your ears off. Jack ignored it and kept walking. On the top of the stairs was a long hallway with only a few doors. Dust was floating in the air, and Jack coughed a few times. Neither spoke as they searched the rooms one by one. Jack paused on the last door on the right; it was situated exactly above the dining room. He slowly pushed it open and was greeted by an empty room. 

Looking back at Phryne, he saw his own confusion mirrored in her expression, and he cautiously entered the room. There was no one and nothing to see except for two windows that were broken. The wind was blowing in, making the drapes flutter with it. Phryne went to the window and looked down; the roof to where the logs were being stored was visible from here. A big tree stood next to it, swaying in the wind. Phryne was looking at the tree, something was not right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

Jack was crouching next to the glass on the ground. 

“The glass was broken from the outside in, and there is no snow inside so it must’ve happened recently.”

Phryne turned, and crouched next to Jack. 

“There is something strange going on, and I intend to find out what.”

Jack rolled his eyes - of course she was going to find out. He had to admit he was rather curious himself what, or better yet who, had made the noise and broken the windows. 

“We better return downstairs, there is no way we can go outside yet and we need to stay warm.”

Phryne nodded and stood up, and in doing so she inadvertently gave Jack a peek from the tip of her toes up to her knickers through the opening from his jacket. Having no clue what had just happened, because Phryne had been looking at the windows, she proceeded to talk. Jack, however, didn’t hear a thing she just said, he was too busy thinking about a long leg. Damn that woman, she was going to be the death of him. 

“Jack?”

He looked up, startled.

“Yes, you're quite right, let's go.”

Phryne gave him a funny look, but didn’t comment on it. 

In the parlor, the fire was still burning brightly, and it was nice and warm inside. Jack threw a couple more logs on the fire and sat down on the couch. 

“Jack, whatever made that noise -”

“Whomever.”

“It is still here.” Phryne continued as if Jack hadn’t interrupted at all. “It could be watching us right now and we’d never know.”

“I’m aware, that’s why I will be taking first watch.”

Phryne watched him for a second; even if he didn’t believe it was a ghost, he was still worried. She sat down next to him on the couch and tucked the blankets over them once more. 

“You’re not tired?”

“It’s not that long until my usual wake up time, so I don’t think I will be able to sleep at any rate.”

* * * * *

Phryne was fast asleep when something shook her carefully. 

“Miss Fisher.”

She groaned, but didn’t open her eyes yet. 

“ _Phryne_!” Jack whispered more urgently. She opened her eyes and was about to make a not so friendly retort, when Jack placed his finger on his lips. “Listen.”

She concentrated, and that’s when she heard it - there was something or someone in the room above them. Her eyes turned big and she looked at Jack. He stood up and very slowly walked to the door and opened it. He peered outside and shook his head. 

“Nothing yet. You should get dressed in case we have to make a run for it,” he whispered when he was standing beside Phryne again, and she nodded. Jack turned around and started walking to the door. 

“Jack! Don’t leave.” He raised one eyebrow and that move seemed to ask a hundred questions at once. 

“Turn around if you must, but don’t leave me.”

Phryne checked her dress to find it had dried up nicely. 

“The dress is ruined but at least it’s dry.”

She stripped and redressed in record time. 

“Zip me up?”

Jack didn’t know someone was capable of dressing so quickly. “That was fast.” She grinned and handed him his shirt. 

“It’s not the first time I had to redress at alarming speed.”

Jack tried not to think about that too hard as he put on his shirt again. It was still warm from her body and it smelled divine. Her scent was all over his clothes, and it would be a shame to wash it, really. When they were both fully dressed they walked to the door. 

“It will only be a matter of time before he or she checks this room.” 

Phryne still wasn’t convinced it wasn’t a ghost, but said nothing. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes the stairs made that horrible sound again. 

Jack gripped the fire poker a little tighter as Phryne aimed her gun. In a silent argument they had decided it would be best if Jack tried to knock their voyeur out, and if it was still necessary then Phryne could shoot him or her. The door opened, but Jack had timed this exactly right. He was standing so the door would hide him until it was too late. A gun appeared first. Then an arm, followed by a torso that was unmistakable male and not a ghost. 

Jack swung his poker and made direct impact with the man’s stomach. He doubled over and dropped the gun. Phryne made a dash for it, but as the man was still gasping for breath he suddenly straightened and took a swing at Jack. Not expecting it, the man’s fist made contact with Jack’s jaw. Jack saw stars for a second and staggered backwards and fell to the hardwood floor. Phryne jumped forward. “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” The man just looked at her and smirked. Before Phryne could even think about pulling the trigger he lunged forward and knocked her to the ground. The gun flew away, and suddenly his face was only inches from hers, smiling the most terrifying smile Phryne had ever seen. 

Jack heard Phryne’s shriek and suddenly it seemed like a light switch flicked on in his head. No one was going to hurt Phryne as long as he was still breathing. He got up and saw the man hanging over Phryne. Jack saw red for a moment and without a second thought he tackled the man to the ground, both of them flying over Phryne. The man clearly wasn’t expecting Jack to do such a drastic thing and was startled. Jack hit him, and the man retaliated with a blow to his side. The struggle continued as the men rolled over the floor. Jack suddenly got the upper hand again, and he took the man’s head and smashed it on the ground. The guy stopped moving, but Jack didn’t seem to notice. He hit him in the face, once, twice. He was planning to strike a third time when Phryne grabbed his bloodied fist. “Jack, _stop!_ ”

Jack stopped immediately, got to his feet and took a step backwards. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. You’ll want to question him no doubt.”

Phryne looked mad at him, and Jack couldn’t blame her. He had crossed the line. 

“No, Jack, I’m not worried about _him_ ,” she said as she made a gesture to where the man was lying unconscious. “I’m worried about you, you idiot.” She moved to his side.“You could’ve broken your hand!”

Jack looked up from the ground to see her worried face. He watched her take a hold of his hand and examine it. “I’ll be right back, stay here and watch him,” she said with a nod to the man laying on the floor. 

She went to the kitchen first to find a pot she saw earlier, then she proceeded outside. The sun was shining brightly and it was incredibly beautiful, the snow, glittering in the sun. She knelt on the side of the deck and scraped the pot over the ground. She filled it with snow she took it back inside. Jack hadn’t moved, and was looking a bit dazed. She grabbed his good hand and pulled him to the couch. He flinched when she cleaned his hand with the snow, but said nothing. 

“I don’t think it’s broken, just bruised from his face.”

Jack seemed to snap out his daze, and looked into her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Phryne.”

“What for? Rescuing me?”

He took a deep breath.

“I shouldn’t have hit him after he was already out, but I couldn’t help it.”

Phryne looked at him, choosing her words carefully.

 

“Jack, he was going to kill me. You saved me and hit him just a little too -er- enthusiastically.”

Jack was looking at her with heated eyes; he cupped her face.

 

“I saw him on top of you and I couldn’t think properly.”

 

“I know,” she whispered and licked her bottom lip.

 

He leaned forward his mouth only a whisper from hers. 

“Phryne? Inspector Robinson?” a voice asked from the entrance. They jumped apart and looked at the door. Charlotte Carter appeared with a couple of men. 

“Oh thank god you're alright. We expected the worst when you didn’t return.”

Phryne shot an apologetic look at Jack who shrugged. 

“How did you find us?”

Jack was only half listening to the story of how there was only one house in the area, and how when they didn’t return everyone hoped they would take refuge there. He was thinking about his almost kiss with Phryne. 

Phryne was thankful she didn’t have to walk back in the snow; apparently there was a driveway from the house that led back to the road, only one kilometer from where her car was parked. They had walked for hours going in the wrong direction and had stumbled on the house by accident. 

Jack said nothing on the way to McCarthy Manor. Phryne kept throwing glances at him but was afraid to say something with Charlotte and Peter sitting in the car with them. Apparently the man Jack had knocked unconscious was Kate’s husband and together they robbed the houses. The haunted house was their meeting spot to hide their stash. 

“Constables are searching the house top to bottom as we speak,” Peter said. 

“Ah and he got inside using the three, that’s what’s bothering me. There was no snow on it!” Phryne said annoyed at her own slowness. 

“My grandmother apparently walked in on them and they killed her for it,” Peter said as Charlotte gripped his hand over the steering wheel. 

Standing back in the hallway of McCarthy Manor, Jack felt like he could use a hot bath and sleep for days. He was not looking forward to figuring out how to get home again. 

“Phryne, your room is ready if you want it.” Charlotte said. 

“Oh thank you, darling, that would be divine. I could use a hot bath and a warm bed.”

Charlotte's eyes flicked to Jack and back to Phryne. She grinned and nodded. Charlotte turned and dragged Peter with her to the parlor, who had a look of utterly bewilderment on his face. Halfway up the stairs, Phryne turned and faced Jack. 

“Aren’t you coming?”

Jack, who was just about to go and call for a cab or something, looked at her with a funny expression on his face. 

“Coming?”

“Yes Jack, and I hope in more ways than one,” she said raising her eyebrows suggestively.

“I think that can be arranged, Miss Fisher.” Jack grinned and followed her to her room. 


End file.
